“David is what would have happened if Cecil Taylor f*cked Chopin.” - Richie Beirach
David Harewood is a visionary free-jazz pianist whose performances take audiences to a place of freedom, innovation, renewal and social change. From his electric improvisational performances to his exacting interpretations of Bach and Baroque era composers, David weaves ancient rhythms with European and BeBop music into a moving experience, unique to each audience.
David’s unconventional musical journey encourages and inspires other native speakers of Music to come out of their hiding places, and bring the world their music. As a toddler, David was able to accurately hum Brahms, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and more. Sitting at the piano, David could imitate many composers’ styles long before he could read music. This ability to speak Music natively is the engine that drives David’s unstoppable and timeless blend of ancient, old, and relatively recent.
He was enrolled in Northwestern University’s Biomolecular Engineering Program, and discovering, much his father’s dismay, that he was not going to be an engineer. David consoled himself through his freshman year by playing a nearby piano. Soon a friend joined him, and they were spending more time in the recording studio than the lab.
No artist really knows their art until they go through The Deep Artistic Darkness, The Dark Night of the Soul, The Void. With the rejection of his art, and his lack of desire for engineering, David felt cut off from his home place of music. He became homeless for a while, spent time with a few substances, and suffered the loneliness. The homesickness. All through these dark days, Music still called through its own magical language. David often went to free concerts, and wondered if life would ever be light again.
David is currently exploring his musical roots in a series of live performances at various jazz festivals and concerts in the New England area. He lives in Boston with his partner, and two cats.
